Is She Really Going Out With Him
by Maibe Josie
Summary: Loosely based on the "party etiquette" webisode during TNG. Sean arrives off the bus on leave from the Army expecting to hang out with Jay and Alex, catching up and vegging out. Instead, Jay insists on taking him to a party... (rated for language, and suggested sexual situations)


Is she really going out with him?

Is she really gonna take him home tonight?

Is she really going out with him?

Cause if my eyes don't deceive me

There's something going wrong around here.

Joe Jackson / Is she really going out with him?

Sean ran his hand over his buzz cut and slung his knapsack over his shoulder as he stepped off the bus in the Toronto downtown bus station. He looked around anxiously for a familiar face while as he stuffed his hands deep into the pockets of his worn hand-me-down jeans. "Yo! Cameron!" he heard a voice shout over the hustle and bustle of the crowds coming and going throughout the station. Sean turned to see Jayson Hogart, his trademark backwards baseball cap resting over a head of unkempt hair.

"Jay" he said shaking hands and pulling him into a hug. Sean looked around cautiously as they walked to the familiar orange civic.

"Things haven't changed that much," Jay said as he noticed the look on his friend's face.

"Well catch me up on things…how's Alex, Ellie, Towerz…the gang?"

"The gang split up," Jay explained quietly as he fiddled with the knobs of his stereo system.

"Towerz ended up in Juvey, Alex and I split and Ellie…last time I heard she was playing the collegiate card and up at T-U.

Sean nodded, "she seeing anyone?"

"Alex mentioned she'd seen some dude all over the little red head while she was up that way hanging out with del Rossi."

Sean frowned, "anyone we know?"

"Not that I know of."

Sean shrugged in indifference. There really was no other way to react than with a shrug of his shoulders. He'd walked out on her, left her, and he really shouldn't have expected that a simple return would cause her to melt right back into his arms. "So what's the plan?" he asked tossing his bag in the back seat and climbing into the front passenger seat.

Jay started his car and looked over at his friend with a devilish smirk on his face, "there's a party up at del Rossi's."

Sean groaned, "no man, we're not going to that party."

"why not?"

Sean looked at him incredulously, "are you serious?"

"Serious as a…what's something that's really serious?" Jay asked with a smirk.

Sean rolled his eyes, "dude…if Marco's gunna be there, then Ellie sure as hell will be, and I have no plans on crashing a party and ruining shit for her."

Jay popped his Civic into gear, "dude, from what Alex tells me the guy is a complete douchebag."

"so what? If Ellie's happy I'm not going to waltz in and fuck that up for her."

"whatever, I'll find us some other plans then." Jay looked ahead, his eyes on the road. He had no intentions of finding other plans. Granted he didn't really know anything about this 'Jesse' character Ellie was seeing but from all the gossip he'd heard from Alex who'd gotten first hand knowledge from Marco delRossi, it was no secret that this guy treated his supposed girlfriend like a freshman trophy.

And the second Sean would get a glimpse of it first hand, he knew his buddy wouldn't stand for it. Alex had told him that Jesse doesn't treat Ellie like she deserves to be treated, and it seems like he just uses her for sex.

He had originally scoffed at the idea until he realized he had often done that time and time again. Led on girls but only for the intention of sex, the only girl he hadn't led on, had been Alex. He shook his head.

Ellie may not have been his best friend, and he sure as hell would never pull her between the sheets, she was Sean's girl. Hell she handled Sean a lot better than little Eco-Queen Nelson ever did. The girl had taken to his insults and tests like a champ, which was always a good sign in his eyes that he'd never gotten that far under her skin, the girl had balls and was definitely in it for Sean, and could take the abuse he dished out.

So this was his good deed for the week, hell the month. Thinking harder about it Jay realized it could probably handle double duty; a good deed for Little Red College Pants, and a good deed for his good old friend Sean.

Jay looked over at Sean, who continued to glance out the window watching as store fronts and memories danced by as the car weaved the streets. "So we can crash at my place for a few hours, I can check around and find us some fun."

Sean looked over at Jay, and nodded, "sure."

…

Ellie pushed her red hair out of her face, "I really need to just chop it all off," she muttered as she pulled it into a pony tail. She reached for her coffee mug and poured herself a cup and slumped to the kitchen table.

"Then cut it off," Marco said groggily as he sipped on his coffee. "It's your hair, you can do what you want with it."

Ellie rolled her eyes, "I know that…it's just, I've never really had a good chop, my hair's always been long."

"Meet it half way?" Marco shrugged and motioned sleepily to his shoulders.

Ellie shrugged and polished off her mug of black coffee.

"I don't know how you do that…" he muttered.

Ellie narrowed her eyes, "do what?" she asked rinsing out her mug in the sink and setting it in the dish washer.

"Black…who drinks their coffee black?"

"I do, and sugar and cream just ruin the taste of a good earthy brew."

Marco chuckled to himself, "the earthy brew of Dunkin' Donuts coffee?" he asked himself.

Ellie shook her head, "I've got class until three, want to go to the mall with me, new party clothes?"

Marco perked up, "shopping?"

Ellie smiled at her best friend, "I've got some graduation money left to burn from a few months ago. Might as well splurge on a hot little number for Jesse."

"So you and Jesse are back on again?" he groaned.

"He came over to apologize last night," Ellie muttered, "said he didn't mean it…"

"Ellie, he was groping the Arts and Entertainment editor…"

"He said she came on to him first…" Ellie answered and struggled to find a way out of the conversation. She almost hated the fact that she was making excuses for him.

"Ellie…"

Ellie glanced at her watch and snatched her bag off the counter, "late for marketing." She bolted for the door, "be back by three thirty." The front door slammed shut and Marco looked gloomily down into his heavily creamed and sugared coffee.

"Who's bright idea was it to throw a party?" he asked himself, "oh right…mine."

…

Ellie popped into the newspaper office after her marketing class and filed through the files she had sitting on her inbox on her desk. She smiled to herself, her desk. If someone had told her she'd have her own column at the newspaper her freshman year at university, she wouldn't have believed him.

She smiled brighter as she felt a familiar pair of arms around her waist and a strong chin settle on her shoulder. "Just popping in to grab some notes," she said as Jesse spun her around and pinned her to her desk.

Jesse pouted, "oh and here I thought you were coming to see me," he said leaning in and gently nibbling on her ear. Ellie closed her eyes and gently pushed Jesse away.

"There'll be plenty of time for that at the party tonight," she said checking her watch and shoving the file folders into her messenger bag, "but I've got to meet Marco at the mall…might just pick up a new outfit for tonight," she said with a smirk.

The last comment peaked Jesse's interest, "what kind of outfit are we talking about here?"

Ellie cocked her head to the side and curved her pink lips into a smirk, "perhaps a little something something for underneath the new outfit?"

"I like the way you think Frosh," he said leaning in and planting a kiss on her lips, "I'll see you tonight."

Ellie shook her head and laughed to herself as Jesse gave a nice swift slap to her rear end, as she bounced out of the office. Whipping out her cell phone she quickly dialed Marco. "Mall, thirty minutes," she said quickly.

…

"Well if it isn't Degrassi's own G.I. Joe?" Alex said as she let herself into Jay's place. Sean looked up from the television set and smiled before standing up and giving his old friend a hug.

"Hey Alex…" she pulled back from him and held him at arms length and nodded in approval.

"Looks like the military has done you some good," she said.

"Oh, and here I thought you switched teams," he joked.

"Oh I did," she said with a smirk, "doesn't mean I can't appreciate the hard work the army has put into your physique."

"So… who're you seeing now then?" Sean said as he slumped back down into the couch and kicked his feet up on the table. And grabbed his can of beer and took a sip.

"Paige." Sean nearly drowned on his sip, and Alex just shrugged, "it's an on and off thing."

Sean coughed, "Michalchuk?"

Alex nodded, "one in the same."

"Well that was…"

"Unexpected?"

Sean nodded, "so did Jay find us all something to do tonight?"

"I promised Marco I'd make an appearance."

"Not going…" Sean declared simply.

"Why not?"

Sean responded with a stare.

"Fair enough," Alex said plopping down on the couch and snatching the remote away

from him catching a glance at the television set. It was a news feed channel, news of America's involvement in the middle east. "You get called to go yet?" she asked.

Sean shrugged "not yet."

"Do you even want to go?" she asked watching footage of patrols in the smaller towns, assisting the people.

Sean didn't really know how to answer that, in the pit of his stomach the thought of going to help keep peace for a war that he didn't think should have been in the first place was terrifying. All the exercises in boot camp, he felt, couldn't prepare him for what he'd see overseas if he were called up to go. "I'm not sure…sometimes I think 'those people need help, but is it worth dying for?'" he answered. "I mean…at the end of the day, it's my job, and they'll pay for me to go to school…sometimes I think it's the perfect job for me." He took a sip of beer and kept his eyes fixed on the news, the names of soldiers injured and killed scrolled across the bottom. "I get to work on some incredible machinery…and I've always been that protector. I don't think I could be there and not want to help."

Alex smiled slightly. "It's true. You've always wanted to help others before yourself, and even those moments where you didn't, and did the complete opposite, you could tell it was killing you inside."

Sean glanced over, she was talking about the moment in time where Jay had convinced him to steal Simpson's laptop and the trouble it caused with Emma. He and Emma had grown apart by then and wanted different things, but he never really wanted to hurt her or Simpson the way he did, and in the end he made it a point to make amends.

Emma Nelson.

He had struggled to forget that name when he left for basic training. Mostly because again for the third time, he and Emma had wanted different things, and were in different places in their lives, and sometimes he wondered if they would ever be at the right place at the right time. He wondered if it even happened, if he would still want it.

"You're spacing out, Cameron"

Sean shook out of it, "sorry got caught up in a thought."

"Who were you thinking about?" Jay asked, catching the tail end of the conversation.

"Emma actually…" he answered honestly.

Jay shook his head and smiled to himself. "You know she's dating someone right?"

"Yes," Sean admitted. "Just because we broke up doesn't mean she doesn't write to me."

Jay shrugged, "it doesn't bother you?"

"Why should it?" Sean asked.

"No." Jay shot a glance at Alex, who threw back a confused look.

"What?" Sean asked, catching the game of eye tennis being shot back and forth. And when no one immediately responded, he repeated himself louder, "what?"

"It's just you seemed a little more upset that Red was dating someone than Miss Eco Princess," Jay mentioned, "that's all."

"I don't care who's dating who," Sean answered.

"So if you don't care who's dating who we can go to the party tonight?" Jay asked, pouting his lips, practically begging for permission to go.

Sean glared.

Silence.

More glaring.

More of Jay pouting.

Alex finally punched Sean in the arm.

"Fine," Sean said, giving in, "we'll go."

"Good I'll tell Manny."

"Manny?"

Alex shook her head and laughed, "oh there's so much you're not filled in on."

"…Manny?"

…

"You don't think I cut off too much?" Ellie said as she admired her outfit and her hair in the mirror of the fitting room. Marco looked it over, and shrugged.

"As long as you like it I guess."

Ellie toyed with the ends of her hair, "do you think Jesse will like it?"

"El-"

"Nevermind," she groaned and walked back into her fitting room, and pulled off the tank top and slouchy t-shirt she had on. "What should I try on next?"

"What about the cute dress?" Marco suggested.

Ellie slipped off her jeans and pulled on the short mini dress Marco had picked out, and opened the door to the fitting room, "zip me?" she asked. Marco zipped up the back of her dress and stepped back.

"I like."

Ellie glanced in the mirror and spun herself around. "I dunno…" she muttered, "it's not really me." She looked herself over, as she played with the hem of the little black dress.

Marco sighed, "why do I have the feeling that you're not going to like anything you try on."

Ellie rolled her eyes and made a face at her best friend before heading back into the fitting room and changed into the black skinny jeans she'd grabbed, and tugged on a long, fitted tank top and a loose baggy cardigan. "I think I like this one," she said as she opened the door and showed it off.

"Good it's settled… now lets get that paid for and go pick up the keg," Marco said glancing at his watch.

"We need to make one more stop."

Marco groaned.

"why are you whining, I thought you liked shopping?" she asked as she changed back into her clothes.

"I do…just not on a time constraint." Marco said as he fixed his hair in the mirror.

"Well I'll make it quick."

"Where are we stopping?" he asked as they walked up to the register together.

"Victoria's Secret."

Marco rolled his eyes.

…

Manny smiled into Jay's shoulder as he hugged her outside her apartment building, they knew her Dad was watching from their apartment and wasn't about to upset Joseph by groping his daughter. She laughed as he tried his best not to make a grab for her back side. Over his shoulder she caught site of two figures leaning against Jay's orange Civic.

"Is that-" Manny pulled out of Jay arms and rushed over to the car, "Sean! You're home!" and practically knocked him over as she jumped into his arms.

Jay threw his arms up in the air, "really?"

Sean laughed at his friend, and opened the door for Alex and Manny to climb in. "So are you home for good home, or on leave home?" Manny asked as she played with Sean's buzz cut. The only good thing about a military hair cut? All the girls just want to play with your head.

"On leave for a bit, and then headed back to the base and waiting on some orders," Sean answered.

"Oh…" Manny answered, the tone of her voice suggesting that she didn't want to broach the subject of him going to the middle east. "Well Emma's gunna be at the party," she added.

"With her boyfriend…" Sean responded.

"Who isn't all that great, if you ask me. I mean Damian's cool and all, but—"

"Well Emma really seems to like him," he paused, "unless he doesn't treat her right."

Manny understood that, that comment meant Sean was happy for Emma if Emma was happy. They had always managed to be that way, never really got upset unless the other was dating someone that would eventually hurt them. "So who else is gunna be at this party?" Sean asked.

…

Jay pulled up just outside the house. Music echoed down the street. He mentally made a bet that the police would be there in before the night was over.

Sean looked at the house from the back seat of the car. It didn't feel right. He knew it was a bad idea but when Manny pulled out her pouty puppy dog face he caved in an instant. He wanted to be there, but at the same time he wanted to be a thousand miles away. Sean glanced up at the glowing windows of the house. He could see the outline of a woman on the second floor. Just the way she stood in silhouette fingering the ends of her hair and looking in what he assumed was a mirror he could tell it was Ellie. She'd cut her hair.

He swallowed the knot he was holding in his throat and let it sink to his stomach before climbing out of the Civic and shoving his hands deep into his pockets. He wanted to blend in and not cause any trouble. If he saw Emma or Ellie he decided he was going to be happy for them no matter what, no letting the trouble of old feelings rise to the surface and mess with the present.

Alex slipped her arm around his and rested her chin on his shoulder, "It'll be alright."

"Motto of my life…" he doled out, "it'll be alright," he repeated.

Alex gave him a knowing smile and grabbed his hand, walking towards the house together. He watched Jay and Manny carefully, Jay's arm throwing protectively over her tiny shoulders, he caught a glimpse of a genuine smile on his lips.

"So that really happened?" he asked Alex.

"Yea, that really happened," Alex answered laughing.

He smiled. Whatever it was going on between Manny and Jay it was good to see two of his friends happy, even Jay seemed like he was trying harder to be a better person, then again anything was better than the Candy Bandit leader he'd met years ago.

The sound of bass thumped into the streets as he was met with a wall of music and loud chatter shaking the walls of the house. He took a deep breath and walked in, practically crushing Alex's hand in the process, it had been a long time since he encountered a very social situation, and even longer since he'd done so in the vicinity of two of his ex girlfriends, to ex loves of his life.

"Is that Sean Cameron?" a voice asked. Sean spun around and came face to face with Spinner Mason. A dark haired girl with her nose pierced passed him a drink.

"Yea man, how's it going?" Sean said extending his hand, "what's up how's everything going?"

Spinner nodded, "not bad," he muttered taking a drink from the red solo cup, "what about you man, heard you suited up and joined the army."

"Just needed the change of pace," Sean answered. He looked over at Jane and gave Spinner a nod.

"Oh, sorry man," Spinner wrapped an arm around Jane, "Jane this is Sean Cameron, Sean this is my girlfriend, Jane."

"Nice to meet you," Jane answered politely and shook his hand.

"Likewise…" Sean said with a smile, "so who else is here?" He looked around and noticed a lot of faces he didn't recognize and a lot of faces he hadn't seen since he got on a bus to boot camp. It was then that he locked eyes with a familiar blonde, "is that –"

"Emma?" Spinner said following Sean's eye line, "that would be her, she's definitely a different person since the last time you were here."

Sean raised an eyebrow at the statement. "She protested an energy drink sponsor a few weeks back…"

"How is that out of the ordinary for her?" he asked with a laugh.

"She stripped…" Jane added.

Sean laughed nervously, "she what?"

"Apparently the sponsor wanted her to lose weight... so she reminded them what the female body really looked like," Spinner answered.

"Seriously, she earned some major brownie points in my book," Jane answered, "we don't talk much but she's got major respect from me for stepping it up and going against the grain.

Sean smiled and looked down at his feet, "yea, that's the Emma I know."

He looked back to wear Emma had been standing and noticed she wasn't there. He looked back up at Spinner, "so how's Craig doing?"

"Rehab…"

"Shit man… You go away for a few months and suddenly everything's changing."

"Ellie got him help, damn near killed her to do it."

"Didn't know they were so close."

"Not so much anymore, he apparently told her he loved her and then asked for his coke back."

Sean frowned, "I had no idea." The entire situation was hitting him harder than he expected. Hearing about Emma. Craig. Ellie. All the changes he'd run away from since he signed up. All the things he was mentally trying to forget since the day JT died.

"Seriously man, you're lucky you got out of here…" Spinner said, "this place is just sucking everyone into some nasty black hole."

"But you're alright…" Sean muttered, "right?"

"few months cancer free," he said with a smile as Jane squeezed in beside him and hugged him tight.

"Shit."

"It's cool man," Spinner muttered, "shit happens, just gotta roll with it."

"Well glad you're alright…," he paused, and a flash of red hair passed in his peripheral vision.

Spinner laughed, "don't man…"

"I didn't plan on it… heard she's got a new boyfriend."

"Grade A douche, but just don't start shit you can't finish."

Sean nodded, "anyone else I should bump into while I avoid that."

Spinner shrugged, "Not off the top of my head, grab a drink and mingle man… you're on leave."

…

"Please tell me that that is not Sean Cameron over there with Spinner."

"It's not Sean Cameron over there talking to Spinner," Marco said glancing over at his friend.

"Not tonight," Ellie groaned.

"You're acting like it's the end of the world, isn't Jesse coming over?"

Ellie sighed, "you really think that Jesse's appearance is going to make that -" she motioned in Sean's direction, "disappear?"

"Probably not..." Marco took a sip from his red cup, "regardless what makes you think he's here for you."

Ellie glared at Marco. "Laying down some real truth bombs are we?"

"Just bringing you back down to earth babe, you were not the first woman in Sean Cameron's life and you certainly won't be the last."

Ellie glanced back over and there was a moment of lingering eye contact before Sean looked away. "You're right," she said. "You're always right."

...

Sean glanced across the room. There she was. Her hair shorter than he remembered. It suited her. There was a moment of awkward eye contact before he looked away and brought himself back into his conversation with Spinner.

"So what have you been up to man?" Sean asked.

"Same old tired shit. Working at the Dot, trying to keep my head above water. But life's good. Got a good girl, got my friends, got my health, can't complain."

Sean nodded, and looked back across the room... she was gone. Marco was alone. "Hey delRossi!" He shouted across the music.

Marco glanced over and pointed at himself.

"Yea you!"

Sean laughed to himself and made his way through the crowd. He met Marco in the living room as the music blasted against the walls.

"Hey man -" Marco managed to choke out, "you're looking good."

"Feeling good," he answered, "things kind of falling into place for me."

"Good…" Marco nodded, "uh so…"

" I'm not here to screw things up for her," Sean managed to finally say, "Jay tricked me into coming out, I was just in town for a little bit, really didn't expect to be here."

"Good," Marco glanced at the door as Jesse walked in looking for Ellie, "though I wouldn't complain if you managed to break up her and Jesse, but I'm just not sure how much more drama she can take lately."

Sean looked in the direction that Marco's gaze was focused, "so that's the grade A douche I've been hearing about."

Marco nodded, "she likes him - have no idea why."

"If Ellie likes him I really can't -"

"Like I said," Marco interrupted, "good, but just keep in mind you're not exactly on her shit list."

"She still talks about me?" Sean asked, "like in a positive way?"

"We've all grown up Sean, coming back and not for her last time killed her." Marco took a drink, "especially since the last time she saw you, you were telling her you loved her."

"I know."

"I don't think you do," Marco answered, "she's been through a lot." Marco sighed, "when she found out you joined the army, she went quiet for a while, she hadn't heard from her dad in weeks."

Sean rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't think she'd even know - or care."

"She cares," Marco said, "she still has some love in that little black heart of hers."

Sean nodded, "I'll steer clear as long as I can, but I'm around if she wants to just - talk."

Marco nodding understandingly.

"So how's life?" Sean asked, "you dating anyone?"

Marco choked on his drink, "why Cameron? you single and hoping to mingle?"

Sean laughed.

…

Jesse found Ellie in the kitchen refilling her cup, "there she is," he said sneaking up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist, kissing the back of her neck, "you look good, you dress up for me?"

Ellie turned around, "you know I did," she leaned up on to her toes and kissed him gently on the lips.

"You gotta hopping party going on here Frosh," he said as his hand settled on her hips.

"Oh you know, I try," Ellie joked.

"I like when you try," Jesse said, his hand slipping down to give her butt a squeeze. Ellie squealed and shooed his hand away, "what?" Jesse threw his hands up defensively.

"You trying to give the party a show?"

Jesse laughed, "just showing G.I. Joe over there, you're mine." Jesse nodded over in Sean's direction as Sean quickly diverted his gaze.

…

"Did he seriously?" Sean grumbled, "in front of everyone?" he asked Marco.

"Number one, stop staring, he'll notice and make sure Ellie noticed and that's a world war I'm not ready to participate in."

"What do you mean?"

Marco took a long drink and finished his cup breathlessly, "Let's go find Alex," Marco said as he saw the flash of Ellie's hair spin to lock eyes with Sean's gaze. He grabbed Sean's hands and began calling Alex.

"Hey ,girl, hey!" Marco said as he tried to catch Alex's eyes and made a face that screamed: we have a problem. "Why didn't you tell me this handsome ball of muscle came home to visit?" as he dragged Sean across the room.

…

"G.I. Who now?" Ellie asked as she spun around to see who Jesse was staring at. Her heart stopped as her and Sean locked eyes for a split second. He'd been watching her. "Nope, that did not justs happen."

"What did not just happen?" Jesse asked, Ellie shook her head and laughed to herself.

"Nothing, just an ex from a million years ago I'd rather pretend is not here right now."

"Oh we can do that… we an pretend no one else is here if you want," Jesse said and pulled her into a kiss, his eyes firmly watching and waiting for Sean to glance back.

Ellie pushed him away, "seriously? what is your deal tonight?"

"why are you acting like a bitch?"

"I dunno," she said tucking a stray hair behind her ear, "why are you acting like such a scumbag?"

Jesse rolled his eyes and ignored her last comment as he poured himself a drink and started leaving the kitchen, "where are you going?"

"to enjoy the party, let me know when you're done acting like a brat."

Ellie groaned and slammed her cup down on the counter before squeezing her hands into white knuckled fists.

"You okay?" Spinner asked, having ease dropped on the whole situation.

Ellie sighed, "yea, I'm fine Spinner, thanks." She took another breath and decided to head upstairs and away from the crowd for a moment.

...

"Wait… so she's really going out with him?" Sean asked as she saw Jesse and Ellie have words from his vantage point.

Marco took another drink to avoid answering and looked at Alex.

"Last time I checked," she answered.

Sean's eyes watched as Jesse poured himself a drink and walked away and Ellie watched blankly before he saw her center herself before heading upstairs. "Like for real?" He asked again as Jesse walked over to a blonde in the corner and start flirting with her. "Is he serious right now?"

"Sean," Marco interrupted as he could see Sean getting red, "relax man, it's what they do."

"But she deserves better than that kind of shit," Sean was getting angry.

"Well Ellie now," Marco said sadly, "she accepts the love she thinks she deserves."

"Man - I'm not okay with this," Sean argued.

"Sean, you gave up your opinion on the matter when you left … AGAIN," Alex said, slightly annoyed. "I was there when you chose to stay with your parents. I mean I got it, I understood, but man … you broke her." Alex sighed, "Ellie might think she loves him… but we all know she doesn't, and we all know that she deserves better than Jesse, but man -"

"Nah, I get it… " Sean glanced back over at Jesse and the blonde. "I just… I hoped she'd find someone better than me."

"Dude, if you think Jesse even comes close to you?" Jay questioned, "you're kidding yourself."

"Says the king of the grove," Alex laughed.

"Hey now, I've grown up" Jay dismissed, "right Mannykins," he asked as he slung his arm around Manny.

"I guess," she laughed.

"Look - if you think this is a mess you want to make, especially since your leaving again," Marco suggested, "then go make a mess, but just don't mess with Ellie's heart."

Sean looked over at Jesse again and made up his mind.

...

Ellie sat on the edge of her bed, her head between her legs as she rubbed the back of her neck, "stupid frosh," she muttered to herself before sitting up and snapping a rubberband on her wrist. Ellie looked up as a knock came to the door. "Jesse, unless your apologizing for your caveman behavior downstairs -" she stopped talking as she looked up and saw Sean in the doorway.

"Oh…" she stood up quickly, subconciously snapping the rubberband, "Hi."

"Still keeping distracting yourself from bad habits?" he asked.

"Still breaking hearts and running?" she asked.

"Touche," he said walking closer, "how've you been?"

"Same old, same old," she said taking a step back.

"So," Sean muttered, glancing back at the empty doorframe, "are you really going out with him?"

Ellie laughed, "since when does that matter to you?"

"Since I know you deserve better," Sean said, "you wanna come back down and hang out with your friends?" and opened his arms towards the door.

"We aren't friends, Sean."

"No we aren't…" he said, "never really were."

Ellie took a deep breath and there was a moment of silence between them.

"Sean, what are you really doing here?"

"Jay wanted me to come out," he answered honestly, "I tried to talk him out of it, I didn't want to make things bad for you…"

"And why would you think you being here would be bad for me?"

"Let's be honest Ellie," he said dropping his shoulders, "I've never gotten over it… and neither have you."

Ellie laughed, "Oh I've gotten over it."

"If you say so…" Sean said.

"I have," Ellie squeaked out. "I moved on Sean, on to bigger and better things."

"Like Jesse?" Sean asked, "who'se making out with who I think is some blonde high school girl in your living room."

"Do not bring Jesse into this - at least he doesn't go around telling me he loves me and then leaving and not actually coming back for me."

"I did - "

"Oh no, you came back and went straight for Emma," Ellie argued, tears threatening to rock themselves from the corners of her eyes, "after I turned you away…"

"Don't do that…"

"Don't do what? Tell the truth?" a single tear slid down her face, "I'm perfectly happy with the choices I've made since you…"

"Like Craig?"

Ellie felt her breath stop in her throat, and quickly snapped her rubber band, "how do you -"

"so it's not gossip?" he asked.

"you don't get to do that," Ellie argued. "You don't get to come back into my life and interrogate me on my love life. "

"I'm not interrogating you -" Sean muttered, "I'm trying to understand why you think Craig or the asshat downstairs even come close to deserving you."

"Says the boy who left."

"Yea, says the boy who left -" Sean answered walking closer to Ellie, who didn't back away this time, "who isn't a boy anymore."

"we're strangers Sean."

Ellie took a deep breath as Sean was only a step away and reached out for her hand, "we've never been strangers - even that day we met."

Ellie laughed, as she let Sean's finger tips trace from her elbow to her hand while wiping away the stray tear with her other hand, "saturday detention."

"have I ever told you that breaking into the vending machines was worth every second of that Saturday detention?"

Sean grabbed her by the waist and before Ellie could react and push him away, kissed her. Ellie signed into the kiss before pulling away.

"So I'm going to ask again," Sean said smiling as Ellie bit her lip, "are you really going out with him?"

"After that kiss?" Ellie said, "I don't think so."


End file.
